Desiring to know more about lifespan psychological principles, I pursued and earned my doctorate degree in Developmental Psychology from the University of Missouri, Columbia. My interest in developmental psychology began when I was in high school as a volunteer tutor at Olive Crest Adoption Agency. In my role, I enjoyed giving back to the community by assisting children and teenagers with their homework. Most of the time tutoring sessions went smoothly, but sometimes, did not, where some children would consistently defy authority and exhibit eccentric behavior. I learned that some of the students came from households with deficits in effective parenting. I then began to wonder if infective parenting affected how children behave. Little did I know that the observation made and the question I posed was a psychological question of nature versus nurture. I later pursued higher education in psychology to learn more about this timely question. The experience at Olive Crest served as a catalyst in stirring my interest in studying psychology as a way to study children and adolescent development in the context of the family.
At the core of my teaching philosophy is the belief that teaching should be holistic for students to fully understand and resonant with how concepts manifest in life. During my time in the classroom as the instructor of Developmental Psychology, I made sure that the course material highlighted development from different perspectives and covered topics related to physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and theological development. I consistently connected the importance of how the development of an individual occurs across a wide array of contexts. In doing so, I hoped to relay to students how nuanced development is and how it relates to the lives of people. Another component of my teaching philosophy is participation by incorporating active learning opportunities into the curriculum. Active learning opportunities allow for students to share their cognitive thought process or share personal experience that demonstrate their understanding of course material. These opportunities also afford students the opportunity to hear perspectives different than their own. This Socratic way of teaching and learning was best exemplified in courses I have taught over the years, including in-class debate discussions and online discussion assignments. Active learning opportunities and application of course concepts to various facets of life are foundational aspects of my teaching philosophy.
In my spare time, I enjoy listening to, playing of, and singing with music, and international cuisine. I also enjoy participating in sports, such as jiu jitsu, basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Lastly, I enjoy actively being involved in my community, starting with serving in my church and serving the community at large.